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Thursday, May 31, 2012

Hate What Is Evil

The world does not take evil seriously.  We should because it is often the source of our sufferings.  Although no one should hate any human being, all should hate what is evil.  

What is evil?  Evil is the opposition of what we truly need and desire.  Evil destroys and tears down.  On the other hand good builds up and serves the purpose for which something is intended.  God as the source of good intends for us to live with Him forever.  This is our purpose in life.  Anything that opposes this should be rejected.

The Blessed Mother is someone who protects us from evil and like a true mother, desires the good for her children.  The Gospel today extols her as "blessed among woman".  A Christian should pray the Hail Mary continuously for protection against evil. 

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Suffering Makes Us Holy

There is a benefit to our own personal suffering, it can make us holy.  There are only two approaches in life, to allow our pain to embitter and destroy us or allow it to build character and strengthen us.  With God's help we can choose the latter.

St. Paul describes this in the Readings today when he speaks of the salvation of our souls through the sufferings of Christ. We are called to live obediently, dying to our own desires as Christ did.  When we no longer live for what we want but rather for what God wants for us, then we are on the road to salvation.  

What does God want for us?  To live our lives according to the Commandments and the Gospel.


Monday, May 28, 2012

Doing the Impossible

A friend once told me he takes good care of his health because he wants to live 100 years.  Then he thought about it and said that he really wants to live forever.

The most important thing in life is eternal life.  In the Gospel today a man approached Jesus and asked how to gain it.  Jesus answered that we must keep the commandments.

We suffer because the commandments are not followed as they should be due to our own will, not God's.  

When one steals or kills for example, it brings pain and hurt to others. God does not will this.  He wants us to live in joy and peace.

If we want to overcome the suffering in our lives, we must strive to live righteously and honorably.  This means doing what is good and right.  The more the commandments become a lived part of our lives, the happier we will be.  

But there is more.  If we really want happiness we must surrender all and follow Jesus totally. This takes a lot of prayer and commitment but is not impossible.  With God "anything is possible."




Friday, May 25, 2012

Love Hurts

What is love?  Ultimately true love is rooted in Jesus.  God is the source of love.  Christians are called to love as God does, through sacrifice.  It is only through giving of oneself totally and completely to another does love flourish.

We must allow God to love us first in order to truly love others.  At times this is painful.  Love hurts. God doesn't give us what we want but what we need, because He truly loves us.  We need to accept with humility his prudential judgment.

In the Readings today Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him then says, "Follow me".  To follow Jesus is to die to self.  We suffer because of self-centeredness.  When we feel sorry for ourselves we tend to blow our problems out of proportion (making "mountains out of mole hills").  If we love like Jesus on the other hand, and follow Him, then our problems are put into perspective.  We must sacrifice ourselves for others.  This means sometimes doing things for others we may not want to do.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Ascension and Hope

A beautiful solemnity is being celebrated in the Church today, the Ascension of Our Lord into Heaven.  Christian should be grateful for this is a wonderful sign of hope.  Before His Ascension Jesus instructed His apostles to proclaim the Good News to the whole world.  Heaven is what we all have to look forward to. 
Hope

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Grief Becomes Joy

We are assured by Our Lord that our suffering here on earth will be brief.  If we stay faithful to Him we are promised an eternity of happiness.  Jesus was a master at putting things into perspective.  He always preached with the end goal in mind, Heaven. 

This is a good lesson for us.  No matter the hardships we endure we should keep in mind that our sufferings will not last forever.  Put in the context of eternal life, our existence on earth is just a blip on the screen.  Life with God forever is what matters.  If we can "keep our eyes on the prize" in this sense then our burdens become much more bearable.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Justice

To live a "just" life one must take on the the persona of Christ.  (That is, Christ must live in us through the Eucharist).  Although Christ was treated unjustly, He always maintained His dignity.  We too must do the same. 

Justice is important because it "makes right" what was previously made wrong.  Many times our suffering is due to a wrong done to us.  The only solution is to forgive.  Through pardon the "wrong" loses all it's power.   

In the Readings today St. Paul says that God will, "judge the world with justice".  That is, God will make right all the wrong that has been done.  As we patiently await that day we must "repent" of our own sins and do good to others lest we become the ones who are judged.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Sin Has Been Condemned

Jesus doesn't condemn us, He condemns the ruler of this world or sin.  He does this out of love.  Jesus will always forgive us, but we must want it.

Personal suffering in part can come from leading sinful lives (be it anger, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy or gluttony).  When we sin we suffer.  In order to overcome our own sin, we first must recognize it for what it is and pray for the grace to stop.  To deny sin is a mistake. 

The world seems to celebrate sin.  Abortion, adultery, homosexual union, fornication, making money, gluttonous eating are all encouraged today.  Practicing these vices can only lead to destruction

Christ wants better for us.  He wants us to live holy lives and be at peace.  Remember that Jesus took sin upon Himself and defeated it so we can be free.  We must use our free will then to remove sin from our lives through Christ.  The only sin that can't be forgiven is failing to go to Him who forgives.

Monday, May 14, 2012

A Mother's Love

Jesus speaks today about the Father's love.  Yet the love of a father isn't complete without the love of a mother.  This is why the Church has always honored Mary the mother of Jesus. 

Yesterday was Mother's Day.  Sometimes in our struggles we need to return to a mother's love for healing and consoling. 

The following is an example of a mother's transformative love for her child. 

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Joyful Lives

God wants our lives to be joyful .  Misery and depression are not part of His plan.  We can overcome suffering through love. 

For Example:  St. Francis

Saturday, May 12, 2012

We Think We Have Problems

Sometimes we tend to over exaggerate our problems, but for God even our most insignificant ones are taken very seriously.  Indeed all problems should be brought to God in prayer.  This being said, we must learn to put things into perspective.

The fact is everyone has problems, some to a greater degree than others.  If we learn however, to think of others rather than focus on ourselves peace will come. 

The Gospel today promises that faithful Christians will face problems in the form of persecution.  Following Christ means carrying the cross.  One should never despair however, because God will always help.

Unfortunately persecution is on the increase.  It is more dangerous than ever to be a Christian.  Rather than feel sorry for ourselves, we should pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are literally dying for Jesus daily.         





Friday, May 11, 2012

Love Ultimately is a Decision (Not a Feeling) 

Bishop Morlino of Wisconsin recently wrote this to the people of his Diocese:
 
Your feelings do matter to me, and I do not take them lightly. However, our end goal should not be simply to restore good feelings. No, there is something greater than good feelings at stake, as good feelings come and go. Much deeper than feelings, what these priests have been sent to offer, is Jesus Christ, He who suffered with and like you, who died for you, and who has been raised to new life, so that you might have lasting joy, lasting hope, and lasting peace – eternal life. The reality of following Jesus is not at every moment full of good feelings; neither Jesus Himself, in His human nature, nor Mary, nor the Apostles were even granted that gift of freedom from painful emotions. By allowing ourselves, with openness, to enter into the mystery of His Church and His Sacraments we find that deep inner joy which passing emotions can’t eradicate.

We must make a choice to love another even when the feeling is not there.  I can't imagine Our Lord "feeling" good about the people who crucified Him.  But He did make a decision to love them when He said, "Forgive them Father they know not what they do." 

This is what the bishop was referring to.  We are called to be the type of Christians as indicated in the Gospel today.  Jesus commands us to love.  True love ultimately is a decision, no one can command a feeling.

We must decide to love people who hurt us, even family members.  A married couple may not always feel good about each other, but they work out problems for the sake of love. 

Making a decision to love is very healing.  It helps one to overcome personal hurts and resentments.  Rather than holding grudges and living in anger, one is set free from suffering when deciding to love and forgive.  It is very empowering.


A good way to prepare yourself for making a decision to love is through meditation.  Spend several minutes each day in stillness and silence.  Do not react to the negative and resentful thoughts.  Make a decision to let them go.  Allow the grace of Christ to fill you with his love and forgiveness, then extend it to others.  

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Purification

Because of sin we need to be purified.  This is a fate none of us can escape.  As a result of the fall from grace our bodies and souls break down. 

Purification is often painful.  Medications are used to "purge" our bodies of illness just as the Sacraments are used to cleanse our souls of sin.  In the Readings today the Holy Spirit "purified" the hearts of the disciples.  They were then given strength through grace to proclaim the Gospel in the face of danger and suffering. 

We too must face our own purification.  God will give us the strength to do it.  A sure fire way is through continued participation of Eucharist, Confession and the Word.  Sr. Ann Shield states it here very well.    
 

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Confusion

Life is full of confusion.  Many today don't even know what to think or believe anymore.  Finding the right answer is often difficult.  Minds can become clouded with evil and sin leading to despair.  People are constantly crying out for clarity. 

For Christians, clarity comes not in the form of a mathematical formula or written code but in the Divine Person of Jesus Christ.  To remain in clarity is to remain in Jesus.

We remain in Jesus by keeping His commandments and following His teachings.  A great error today in society is the idea of subjective truth (that each individual creates his/her own personal idea of right and wrong).  This can deter us from the one and only truth, God. 

Often the need to be right comes out of our own insecurities.  We attempt to control our own lives with the thinking that "nobody is going to tell me what to do".  Our sin and pride refuses to admit that we may be wrong.

We should freely let God control our lives. Only He has all the answers. Christians must humbly accept the truth of Christ's teachings given to us through the Church He established.  Submitting to this will keep a Christian on the path toward eternal life. 

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Evil Has No Power

The only power evil has is the power we give it.  Evil has no power in and of itself.  It has been completely conquered by good.  We can rest in peace when we rest in Christ who has all power over the "ruler of the world"  (Satan - the source of evil).  

The devil is like a weak, immature little boy who is always afraid.  Out of his insecurity, he constantly works to project his fear on mankind in order to intimidate and cause us to fall.  But he is all bark and no bite.  If we stand up to him with faith in Christ he will flee like the scared little wimp he is. 

Do not ever be intimidated by evil.  Stay connected to Jesus through the Sacraments and you will never have cause to fear.  Christ has already won every battle and will eventually win the war.  Stand strong!

The following is an interesting article on evil, sin and death entering into the world and how to overcome it.



Monday, May 7, 2012

Being Holy: The Love of God

The more we grow in love for God, the easier it becomes to endure suffering and hardship.  The love of God gives us the strength to persevere thus our crosses lighten.   

In the Gospel today Jesus talks about loving God.  As our love of God grows stronger we grow in holiness, a state of being we are all called to.  The following link gives practical insight into spiritual growth and holiness.  Practicing these steps faithfully will also help us overcome our own pain and suffering.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Deep Rooted

A grower once told me that grapevines are deep rooted plants.  They go down far as six feet.

In the Readings today Jesus uses the metaphor of a grapevine.  He is the "vine" and we are the "branches".  We are called to be one with Christ and stay connected to Him.  Yet it is more than that.

Christ wants us to disregard all the superficiality in our lives and introspect deep within the soul.  In order to know God we must know ourselves and vice versa.  Truly knowing oneself means moving past all the distractions in life (i.e. money, fame, pride, popularity, toys, movies, television, games and gadgets) and become "deep rooted". 

Prayer and meditation allows us to go deep into the soul, sometimes revealing things about ourselves we may not want to see.  The deeper we go, the deeper the pain.  This is necessary however, for the true healing and liberation needed to become new men and women in Christ (able to bear "good fruit").  

The analogy of vine and branches also refers to wine and Eucharist.  After receiving Jesus in communion, a Christian should sit in silence for an extended period of time and allow Christ to to do His "pruning".   


Saturday, May 5, 2012

Worship

The Readings today speak of worship.  One way to overcome depression is through praise and adoration of God.  The early Christians "heard" and "glorified" the Lord.  Through worship we learn to selflessly surrender ourselves to God as living sacrifices

The world however, encourages worship of self.

We worship God through the senses.  Jesus says that whoever "sees me, sees the Father".  Worship is a fully human endeavor; body, mind, emotion and soul.  When we praise God with our entire being we are entirely redeemed.  Peace then comes completely.

The following link explain this very well.   

Friday, May 4, 2012

Let Your Hearts Not Be Troubled

These are the words of Jesus in the Gospel today.  Eventually, through faith in Him, everything is going to be all right.  Whatever the life struggle is, we will overcome through Christ because He has overcome.

One way of dealing with pain is to put things in perspective.  Realize that pain, suffering and sin will not last forever.  Christ promised a "prepared place" for each one of us.  Our eventual destiny is one of eternal peace, love and joy.  This should fill us with hope and strength to endure to the end.  



Thursday, May 3, 2012

Are You Saved?

What does it mean to be "saved"?  Certainly all of us want some sort of salvation from sin, evil, enslavement, suffering, misery, bad relationships, depression, etc....  We all want to live happy, peaceful, fulfilled lives.  As Christians, of course, we look to Christ as our savior.

But how is one saved?  How can peace, joy, freedom and fulfillment become incorporated into our lives so we are able to actually experience and live it?  The Readings today speak of salvation.  Jesus makes it clear that nobody comes to God except through Him.

Jimmy Akin does a good job of explaining the Catholic view of Salvation in the following video.  Enjoy!



Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Suicide is Never the Answer

In the following video a woman falsely believed that there was no way for her to live a completely happy life.  As a result she eventually attempted suicide.

Her suffering developed while being raised in a broken home.  In the video she proceeded to give some very keen psychological insight, explaining how she developed a sense of rejection as a child because she didn't fully understand the divorce of her parents.  From this she turned in on herself in isolation, feeling that she was a burden to others.  In her isolation she became so self-conscious and insecure that she tended to exaggerate and distort harmless comments made to her by others throughout childhood.  She focused on this negativity to such an extreme that she felt the only solution was to end her life.  As a result, she entered into a mystical darkness from which only Christ the Savior was able to pull her out.

In the Readings today Christ says that those who believe in Him do not remain in darkness.  The thought that we can never be happy in life removes us from God's light and peace.  Only Christ can ultimately fill us with happiness and joy.  

God does not reject us, far from it.  He always forgives and accepts us.  We are also not a "burden" on others.  God created us to be loved, to love others in return and to live in community not isolation.  A life of faith should always be filled with hope, kind words, uplifting messages and happiness, there is never any reason to be negative and insecure.  Christ desires that we live life to the fullest.

A good way to experience this joy is to join a Christian community at a parish or church.  In this way we will obtain the love and support we need, while being strengthened to love and support others in return, all through God's grace

Fortunately for the woman she found salvation and joy in Christ through some very mysterious circumstances prompting her to always praise God on earth and in eternity!

 

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Recognizing Christ

Helping others can be very therapeutic for overcoming depression, the cause of which originates in the self.  We can become our own worst enemies by focusing too much on our own problems and feeling sorry for ourselves.  On the other hand being of service enables one to die to self and live for others.  Moving  from self-deprecation and isolation toward true love and joy can be very healing. 

We recognize Christ through serving others.  A good example of self-sacrifice is Mother Teresa.  She found true peace through loving God in people.  This is what Christians are called to do. 

In the Gospel today only His “sheep” recognized who Jesus was.  We too are the Shepherd’s sheep when we recognize Christ in others through feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, caring for the sick or visiting a friend.   

God does not want us to be sad and miserable in life.  He is constantly calling us to experience true love and joy through our love for other people.